Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

22 F I N G A L : Book I,
fun-beam on the hill. And thou, O valiant Duchomar,
like the mift of marfhy Lano; when it fails over the plains
of autumn and brings death to the people. iNlorna, fairefl
of maids ! calm is thy fleep in the cave of the rock. Thou
hafl fallen in darknefs like a liar, that flioots acrofs the
defart, when the traveller is alone, and mourns the tran-
lient beam."
" Say," faid Semo's blue-eyed fon, " fay how fell the
chiefs of Erin ? Fell they by the fons of Lochhn, ftriving
in the battle of heroes ? Or \\h?X confines the chiefs of
Cromla to the dark and narrow houfe * .^"
" Cathbat," replied the hero, " fell by the fword of Du-
chomar at the oak of the noify ftreams. Duchomar came
to Tula's cave ; and fpoke to the lovely Morna."
*' Morna f, fairefl among women, lovely daughter of
Cormac-cairbar. Why in the circle of Hones ; in the cave
of the rock alone? The ftream murmurs hoarfely. The
old trees groan in the wind. The lake is troubled be-
fore thee, and dark are the clouds of the Iky. But thou
art like fnow on the heath; and thy hair like the mill of
Cromla ; when it curls on the rocks, and fliines to the
beam of the well. Thy breafts are like two fmooth rock.^
feen from Brano of the ftreams; thy arms like two white
pillars in the halls of the mighty Fingal."
" From whence," the white-armed maid replied, " from
whence, Duchomar the molt gloomy of men? Dark are
thy brows and terrible. Red are thy rolling eyes. Does
Swaran appear on the fea ? What of the foe, Ducho-
mar ?"
" From the hill I return, O Morna, from the hill of the
dark-brown hinds. Three have 1 fiain with my bended
yew. Three with my long bounding dogs of the chafe.
Lovely daughter of Cormac, 1 love thee as my foul. I
have ilain one ftately deer for thee. High was his branchy
head ; and fleet his feet of \vind "
" Duchomar I" calm the maid replied, " I love thee
not, thou gloomy man, hard is thy heart of rock; and dark
thy terrible brow. But Cathbat, fon of Tormanf, thou
art
• The ^ave. The houfe Rppointed for all living. Jo6.
+ Muinie, or Movna, a woman belored. ly nil.
i Torman, thunder. This is the true oi i^jin of the Jupiter Taramis of the an-.
dents.